केत

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

From a Proto-Indo-Iranian *kétas (desire), probably a velarized formation related to चित् (cit, to perceive; to intend).[1] Compare Avestan 𐬛𐬏𐬭𐬀𐬉𐬐𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (dūraēkaēta, whose desire goes far away), Armenian կետ (ket, point, dot; post, office, station).

The other senses appear to be semantic extensions of the "desire" sense, as manifestations of desire and intention (such as a mark or an apparition), though the "house" sense, if related, presumes a larger semantic shift than the other senses.

Pronunciation

Noun

केत • (kéta) stemm

  1. desire, wish, will, intention
  2. house, abode
  3. mark, sign
  4. apparition, shape

Declension

Masculine a-stem declension of केत
singular dual plural
nominative केतः (kétaḥ) केतौ (kétau)
केता¹ (kétā¹)
केताः (kétāḥ)
केतासः¹ (kétāsaḥ¹)
accusative केतम् (kétam) केतौ (kétau)
केता¹ (kétā¹)
केतान् (kétān)
instrumental केतेन (kétena) केताभ्याम् (kétābhyām) केतैः (kétaiḥ)
केतेभिः¹ (kétebhiḥ¹)
dative केताय (kétāya) केताभ्याम् (kétābhyām) केतेभ्यः (kétebhyaḥ)
ablative केतात् (kétāt) केताभ्याम् (kétābhyām) केतेभ्यः (kétebhyaḥ)
genitive केतस्य (kétasya) केतयोः (kétayoḥ) केतानाम् (kétānām)
locative केते (kéte) केतयोः (kétayoḥ) केतेषु (kéteṣu)
vocative केत (kéta) केतौ (kétau)
केता¹ (kétā¹)
केताः (kétāḥ)
केतासः¹ (kétāsaḥ¹)
  • ¹Vedic

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1992) “kéta”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎[1] (in German), volume 1, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, page 399

Further reading